Shadow Warrior 3 isn’t a very big game. It doesn’t really innovate, either, or let you breathe. But on the flipside of that, it’s focused, and doesn’t waste any of your time. You’re ushered from one combat encounter to another with a big smile on your face, the action never letting up, all the while bombarded with witty dialogue and visual gags that will genuinely make you chuckle. So, if that sounds like your idea of fun, jump right in. You won’t be disappointed.
With GRID Legends, Codemasters has delivered one of the most generous and inclusive racing games of recent years. Though while its moment-to-moment action is pretty much second to none, its career mode just doesn’t quite get its hooks in you like it should. Throw in limited multiplayer offerings, and you have a racing game that’s great but not spectacular. If you want to fling cars around a whole load of city-based tracks and gleefully trade paint with your competitors, this is the racing game for you. Just don’t go in expecting to get all that invested in your career exploits.
Combining the deep and challenging combat FromSoftware is known for with a vast and varied world that’s always a pleasure to explore, Elden Ring is quite simply incredible.
In numerous ways, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is a clear improvement over its ill-received predecessor. Thanks to its shoddy presentation and numerous other issues, however, it’s still far away from being a must-have. All too often you feel like you’re just going through the motions between battles, going on strolls or enacting policies just to meet objectives without any real thought being put into it. And while the combat is somewhat fun, boring map design lets it down. This is one just for ardent fans, then.
A gory affair, there’s a hell of a lot to like about Infernax. The tried-and-tested gameplay sits alongside purposefully dated but nonetheless charming visuals, but the freedom you have really sets this apart from other games in the genre. Will you save the world or be a blight on it? That’s up to you. And while you may always have good intentions, sometimes your decision can have unexpected results. In any case, you’ll have a lot of fun slaying monsters and developing Alcedor as you play.
Bigger and better than its predecessor in every single way, Horizon Forbidden West is a game that’s ever so easy to get lost in.
It’s a shame that The King of Fighters XV doesn’t have some of the modes we’ve come to expect as standard now in fighting games, but thanks to its large roster of fighters and solid mechanics it still impresses. Its team-based battles differentiate it a little from the competition out there, and on PS5 it looks and performs beautifully. So, if you’re on the market for a new fighting game, you should definitely give it a look. Especially if you plan on mainly playing against others online.
With Sifu, developer Sloclap has delivered one of the most striking and original roguelikes we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Like the process of actually learning a martial art, this is a game that requires practice and patience – and the rewards speak for themselves. The first time we encountered a key target, for example, we aged so much that we died and had to try again. And when we did finally manage to beat him, we did so at an age in the 50s. But after yet more practice, we later returned to emerge victorious in battle at the fresh age of just 21 years old, which set us up with a much better chance of overcoming the other targets on our list. It’s achievements like this that spur you on, giving Sifu a kind of magnetism that’s rarely found elsewhere.
For those who enjoy thoughtful narrative adventures, it’s easy to recommend The Longest Road on Earth. It’s brief but very moving, and there’s every chance you might play through it more than once given its fantastic soundtrack and the way its story is open to interpretation. On another playthrough you might notice a detail in a scene that changes how you view it, for example. There’s one thing for certain: The Longest Road on Earth makes an impact.
No doubt some will have expected more of a visual overhaul, but it’s hard to find fault with Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.
Inevitably, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem doesn’t do much to attract newcomers to the series. It is what it is: an expansion designed to offer Serious Sam 4 fans more hair-raising combat encounters, with a sprinkling of new enemies and weapons. It’s disappointing that some of the technical issues that have plagued Serious Sam 4 since launch still persist, but if the idea of having an entire army of Headless Kamikazes running your way yet again gets you hot under the collar, it’s well worth the investment.
Dimension Tripper Neptune: TOP NEP‘s ace up its sleeve is the fact that it costs just £3.99/$4.99. And for that price you just can’t go wrong. Whether you’re a fan of Neptune or rail shooters, it’s highly recommended that you add this to your Steam library. It may be short, but it’s also very sweet.
Existing fans of the Windjammers series will absolutely love Windjammers 2 – no doubt about it. Newcomers willing to put the effort in to learn its mechanics will find a lot to enjoy, too. It’s just a shame that its single-player offerings are so slight, and the AI isn’t much fun to go up against. Multiplayer is the highlight here, and if you do plan on playing against friends, family and/or strangers, you’ll get way more than your money’s worth.
Considering its budget price, there’s a lot to like about Labyrinth Legend. Its combat is a little simple, and inventory management can be a bit of a pain at times, but crawling its dungeons in search of powerful loot is engrossing nonetheless. The bite-sized nature of its action works in its favour, too, allowing you to delve in and out of it before it wears thin. So, if the idea of a cute-looking dungeon crawler that doesn’t over-complicate itself appeals to you, Labyrinth Legend is well worth checking out.
So, if you’ve played Terminator: Resistance and found yourself wanting more, Annihilation Line is definitely worth considering. It doesn’t really try to offer anything new gameplay-wise, but it does allow you fight beside Kyle Reese and go behind the titular Annihilation Line. Those two factors alone will be enough to convince most fans.
All that being said, there’s no denying that this is the best MXGP release yet. While they’re not particularly sizeable, improvements have been made, and it’s nice to have some new tracks thrown into the mix. Just be aware that if you already own MXGP 2020, MXGP 2021 isn’t going to offer a wildly different experience. It feels more like a refinement or expansion rather than a sequel. Whether that makes it worth the asking price is up to you.
After the disappointing Halo 5: Guardians, it really does feel like 343 Industries is getting the series back on track with Halo Infinite. The setting is familiar, and so is the gameplay, but like returning to your hometown to meet up with long-lost friends, it’s a wholesome experience and, once you scratch the surface, things are different enough to allay any fears that you’re just re-treading the same old ground. Perhaps the biggest shame is that co-op won’t be available until after launch, because those open areas could really do with multiple Spartans causing havoc in them. But until then, even playing solo is bound to be captivating thanks to firefights that put most other first-person shooters to shame.
When you’re engaging your enemies in the middle of deep space, boosting then drifting to rotate your ship around and snipe three or more enemies with your laser rifle before warping behind another and switching to your missiles to unleash a mighty payload, there’s nothing else quite like it.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination was a great game on PC and thankfully it’s equally as great on console. If lair building and managing a criminal empire is your thing, consider this an absolute must-play. Rebellion has done a great job ensuring that pretty much every action you could want to perform is at your fingertips on a controller. And with a robust tutorial system, this is a game that’s accessible to all, regardless of their skill level. Evil Genius 2: World Domination really does make it dangerously fun to be bad.
Disappointing is the best way to describe Battlefield 2042. It can be fun at times, but also frustrating and downright dull. Its maps are impressive in scale, with weather effects that are a sight to behold. But they’re just too big, filled with vast open spaces that don’t do the game any favours. Mix in a variety of bugs and unfortunate design decisions, and you have the weakest Battlefield game in years. Can it be turned around? Possibly. But whether you’re a fan of the series or not, you’re definitely better off waiting for it to receive some more updates before you jump in.